A few shots of Porto

One of the places I visited on my trip through Portugal was Porto, the second-largest city in the country.  This place has tons of character, but is really run down at the same time.  It's located on the Douro River, just downstream from the Douro Valley, which is famous for its vineyards, and yes, its Port wine.

One of the places I stopped in at was this great cafe, built in the 1920's and largely unchanged since.  This is definitely a place that would get the Hemingway seal of approval.  I could just picture him hanging out here with his notebook and some pencils.

The outside was nice as well, and it is aptly named, The Majestic Cafe.

One thing that is striking about the city is how many buildings are completely abandoned.  In some parts of downtown it seemed like about 70 percent, even near the water, like this one above.

A throwback to old times and they heyday of the city comes in the form of these boats, with wine barrels strapped on top.

And then there is the bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel himself.

Overall it is a beautiful spot to visit.  Perhaps better to visit than to live, but I'm glad I made the stop.  A few more days writing in that great cafe might have been just the ticket...